The ruling by the Second Division of the Albacete Regional Court imposes on MAPS, after her conviction by a popular jury, a series of measures directly affecting the relationship with her surviving daughter, including deprivation of parental authority, a ban on approaching or communicating with her for 31 years and the suspension of any visitation regime. In addition, the decision stipulates compensation of 50,000 euros for the daughter and 100,000 euros for the father, as compensation for the death of the newborn. As Europa Press reported, the accused must also serve a measure of supervised release for ten years once the main sentence is over and bear procedural costs.
The main sentence, reviewable permanent imprisonment, falls on Maps for the murder of his newborn son in Elche de la Sierra, Albacete Province. Europe Press explains that the decision considered the factor of aggravating kinship due to the direct relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, which increased the severity of the penalty imposed. The court’s ruling is based on facts considered proven during the judicial process that took place from 17 to 27 November, the date on which the People’s Jury issued its guilty verdict.
It was proven during the trial that the accused had kept her pregnancy a secret since April 2022. Medical follow-up was interrupted in the second half of the pregnancy, as MAPS, according to Europe Press, stopped attending scheduled visits at the maternity service at Helen Hospital. Her family, including her husband, were unaware of the pregnancy, and the woman claimed to them that she had had a spontaneous abortion to hide the pregnancy.
At 39 weeks pregnant, in January 2023, MAPS gave birth in the bathroom of her home, keeping the entire process a secret. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, reported by Europa Press, the accused gave birth while fully aware of her condition, as she was already the mother of a three-year-old girl. The baby was born in good health, and the accused cut the umbilical cord before putting it in a garbage bag, inside the household trash, with the aim of ending his life.
Later, when her mother-in-law arrived home and noticed bloodstains on the floor, the accused claimed that she was experiencing particularly painful and heavy menstruation. After this incident, the husband took MAPS to Helen Hospital. At the hospital, according to information released by Europa Press, the accused repeatedly denied that she was pregnant or had recently given birth.
The investigation established that the child died on the same night due to an attack of hypovolemic shock, hypothermia and suffocation, which led to heart and respiratory failure, as determined by the ruling. Europa Press reported that during the hearings the fact that the accused chose not to seek medical help despite her knowledge of the progress of the pregnancy and her previous experience in childbirth was evaluated.
For these reasons, the Regional Court of Albacete imposed the maximum sentence provided for in Spanish legislation for similar cases, adding to the reviewable permanent prison sentence the prohibitions and restrictions imposed on the surviving daughter and the comprehensive deportation regime. Financial compensation was established in favor of the daughter and father as part of the civil liability arising from the death of the newborn.
The judicial process revealed the entire sequence of events, from the initial concealment of the pregnancy to the circumstances in which the death occurred. According to court documents collected by Europa Press, the defendant’s position in the hospital and in front of her family reflects a systematic attempt to avoid any suspicion about the birth of the child. The intervention of the mother-in-law and subsequent care at the hospital led to the investigation being transferred to the medical and police field, whose actions ultimately upheld the conviction.
The complementary penalties, including supervised release and restricting contact with the daughter, aim to ensure the protection of the minor and avoid new episodes of risk, according to Europe Press in its coverage. The ruling stipulates a period of prohibition of contact and proximity to any usual environment or place frequented by the daughter, at a distance of no less than 500 metres, and it will remain in effect for more than three decades after the ruling.
By imposing reviewable permanent imprisonment and consequential penalties, the Albacete Court sets a precedent in the legal assessment of aggravating circumstances, specifically the kinship relationship and the intentional concealment of the child’s birth and subsequent death, in line with what is established by the criminal legislation in force in Spain, according to Europe Press.